Differences in Wheat Cultivar Response to N Supply. I: Differences in Grain Yield Formation

Two-year field trials with winter wheat cultivars Batis and Toronto were conducted in Southern Bavaria, Germany, to investigate the possible causes of cultivar differences in response to N supply varying in total amount and time of application. Cultivar-related differences in grain yields were observed in treatments with low and medium N supply. High doses of N supply resulted in grain yield adjustment or grain yield advantage for cv. Toronto. The results of this study revealed a consistent, genotypic pattern in response to N fertilization in spite of strong seasonal effects. Systematic modifications in canopy growth rates in response to N supply were of particular relevance and a main factor for differences in tillering intensity resulting in modified stand densities. In the present study, cultivar differences in spike development and interactions with N supply related more to abortion than to initiation processes for number of spikelets and number of flowers per spikelet. High grain density (grains per m²) of cv. Toronto was evident during reproduction stages even under conditions of medium N supply. However, decreased growth rates during the later part of grain filling in combination with low 1000 grain weight, which was barely modified by N fertilization, allowed only partial utilization of this potential. It is assumed that sink limitations were of particular relevance for grain yield development in cv. Toronto, while cv. Batis combined a less intense response to N supply with more stability in the development of grain yield components.     

离子选择电极法测定NBPG与银、镉、汞的配合物组成和稳定常数

本文用离子选择电极法测定了N,N—二甲基膦酸基甘氨酸(NBPG)与银、镉、汞的配合物组成和稳定常数。结果表明,NBPG与Ag~ 、Cd~(2 )、Hg~(2 )均生成组成为1:1的多齿质子型配合物。其lgK_稳值分别为:AgL5.28、CdH_3L3.63、CdH_2L5.16、CdHL7.30、CdL11.56、HgH_3L6.06、HgH_2L7.55、HgHL8.24、HgL12.58。     

A grower-friendly method to transfer predacious mites to commercial orchards

The establishment of predacious mites in commercial orchards may be accelerated by the transfer of pruned wood in winter and summer from donor orchards to release orchards. Following winter pruning, 3-year-old and older wood is collected and transported as soon as possible in bundles to a release orchard for distribution. If the release orchard is composed of dwarf trees, then one or two bundles of 5 kg each are placed vertically at the base of the trunk of every tree in the block (0.5 to 1 ha); if the trees are of standard size, then four or five bundles used. Following summer pruning, annual shoots and suckers are distributed immediately in a release orchard composed of dwarf trees by placing 12–15 branches on the foliage of fruit-bearing branches; if the release orchard is composed of standard trees, then 50 branches are used. The pruned wood should have 20–25 leaves and not less than one predator per leaf. The release orchard should have a light infestation (two or three mites per leaf) of pest tetranychids. These phytophagous mites would serve as food and help establish the predators. The release orchard grower should develop a pest management program based on the same groups of pesticides used in the donor orchard. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Aug. 31, 2005.     

Pregnancy Rates in Repeat-breeder Heifers Following Multiple Artificial Inseminations during Spontaneous Oestrus

Hormonal asynchronies during oestrus, related to the presence of suprabasal plasma-progesterone (P4) concentrations and a delayed ovulation, interfere with the fertility of repeat-breeder heifers (RBH). Since tubal dysfunction can occur in connection with hormonal asynchronies and constrained availability of fertile spermatozoa at the time of ovulation, the present study tested the hypothesis that frequent sperm deposition from onset of oestrus to ovulation may improve pregnancy rates in RBH. Five RBH and five virgin heifers (VH; controls) were repeatedly artificially inseminated (AI) at 6 h intervals from onset of oestrus to spontaneous ovulation. Hormone analyses revealed suprabasal P₄ concentrations and a delay in the occurrence of the luteinising hormone (LH) surge, but a normal cortisol profile in RBH. Compared with controls, RBH presented longer interval from onset of oestrus to ovulation, and therefore, received more AIs. Pregnancy rates in RBH reached control levels (60%; NS), indicating that the hypothesis might be correct. Pregnancy rates in VH were below the expected range, presumably attributed to a deleterious influence of the frequent handling. The study suggests that pregnancy rates can be improved in RBH by frequent AI in relation to spontaneous ovulation. However, this practice of repeated manipulations, while seeming not to show adverse effects, lacks practicality for routine use.     

Variation of Parthenium hysterophorus in response to soil quality: implications for invasiveness

Summary The performance of Parthenium hysterophorus , native to the tropical Americas and invasive to several countries, was evaluated for response to soil quality. Phenological (six stages) and quantitative growth variables [relative growth rates in height (R_h) and diameter (R_d)] were measured every fortnight. Based on harvest data, the variables, root:shoot (R:S) ratio, specific leaf area (SLA), relative growth rate in biomass (R_w), net assimilation rate (NAR) and dry matter allocation to plant components, were determined. High clay content in soils prolonged the rosette stage, enhanced R_h and R_d and hampered root growth, but promoted biomass allocation to shoots. The extreme degree of plant mortality was observed, with only 33.3% individuals surviving to reproduce in the soils with highest clay contents. This appears to be one of the most important findings that certainly has a major bearing on the range of adaptation of the weed. Seed mass declined whereas seed production increased in relatively coarser soils with the exception of nearly pure sand. In soils rich in clay, plants produced a smaller number of larger seeds. These data suggest that variation in fundamental functional traits would enable P. hysterophorus to adjust to a variety of habitat conditions.     

Effect of take-all root infections on nitrate uptake in winter wheat

The effect of take-all root lesions on nitrate uptake of wheat was investigated in two experiments under controlled conditions. Plants were supplied with a nutrient solution labelled with ¹⁵N during stem elongation and flowering to assess the distribution of the isotopic tracer in the different plant organs, and particularly in root segments located on both sides of take-all lesions. The ¹⁵N atom percentage excess measured in root segments located below lesions longer than 1 cm was reduced on average by half compared with that in healthy roots and root segments above lesions, reflecting a reduction in nitrogen uptake by these root segments. This reduction probably resulted from the invasion and breakdown of phloem vessels by the fungus hyphae, interrupting energy supply and thus the uptake process. Severely infected plants showed an increase in the uptake rate per unit of efficient root, which appeared to be a compensatory response to reduction of efficient root biomass in order to satisfy shoot nitrogen demand. However, this compensatory response was insufficient to ensure nitrogen accumulation equivalent to that of healthy plants, as reductions in nitrogen accumulated in roots and aerial parts at flowering were up to 56 and 49%, respectively, for plants with more than 50% of the root system below lesions longer than 1 cm.     

Weed:spring barley competition for applied nitrogen in pig slurry

Summary The experiments were carried out in the two spring barley fields of the organic six-course cattle:crop rotation at Foulumgaard, Denmark. The weed density was 300 and 1800 plants m⁻² respectively. Pig slurry was applied by hand in microplots by four methods: broadcasting followed by incorporation, or injected in bands to depths of 5, 10 or 15 cm. Spring barley and weeds were sampled separately six times during the tillering and elongation phase of the spring barley. The effect of application method on dry-matter (d.m.) production, nitrogen uptake and recovery of applied nitrogen in the spring barley and the weeds is reported. Slurry banding halved the weed d.m. and weed N uptake compared with broadcasting, irrespective of weed density. Weeds recovered up to 12% of the applied nitrogen, which made them a significant competitor when the slurry was broadcast and incorporated. Banding by direct injection reduced the slurry:soil contact and the weed:crop competition balance for applied nitrogen moved in favour of the crop. Thus, the crop recovery of applied nitrogen at the end of the sampling period was increased from approximately 45% for broadcast and incorporated to approximately 50% for injected slurry, and coincidental weed recovery was reduced to a maximum of 5%. As the nitrogen supply normally affects plant d.m. production, banding of slurry might well improve crop competitiveness and its tolerance to mechanical weed control.     

不同地域环境对枸杞蛋白质和药用氨基酸含量的影响

根据2000～2001年我国北方六省(区)多点枸杞采样资料和田间试验资料,利用K-均值聚类方法和非线性回归方法,对比分析了宁杞1号枸杞蛋白质和9种药用氨基酸含量的差异和特点,以及生态因子对它们的影响。分析结果表明,不同地域栽种的宁杞1号枸杞蛋白质和9种药用氨基酸含量的变异系数分别为16.58%和16.22%,除品种因子的决定作用以外,环境条件对枸杞蛋白质含量有一定作用,其中土壤水解氮含量对蛋白质和氨基酸合成有一定作用,二者呈对数关系。     

Effect of EGFP gene transfection on the cell cycle distribution of primary cultured human chondrocytes

AIM: To investigate the effect of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene transfection on the cell cycle distribution of primary cultured human chondrocytes in order to establish a tracking method of cultured human nasoseptal chondrocytes. METHODS: pEGFP-N1 plasmid was amplified in E.coli, and purified by high purity kit. Primary cultured human chondrocytes,which were initially obtained from the nasoseptal cartilage, were cultured in vitro and transferred with pEGFP-N1 by means of electroporation with Amaxa nucleofector device. Transfering process and transient expression were evaluated by laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM), the transfer efficiency and the cell cycle distribution were evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: There was significant expression of EGFP at 24 h after transferring. The transfection efficiency of pEGFP-N1 into primary cultured human chondrocytes reached 35.37％ at 48 h. It didn't affect the process of cell adherance and had no effect on the cell cycle distribution. CONCLUSION: Primary cultured human chondrocytes, which were transfected with pEGFP, are alive in vitro, and the transferring process doesn't affect the cell cycle distribution. These results suggest that pEGFP-N1 is an ideal transient expression vector for primary cultured human chondrocytes and it might be a well tracer in construction tissue engineered cartilage.     

丝状霉形体丝状亚种SC型脂蛋白LppQ N末端基因克隆与序列分析

脂蛋白LPPQ是丝状霉形体丝状亚种SC型(MmmSC)非洲株、欧洲株和疫苗株所特有的。LPPQ N末端域具有良好的免疫原性，在牛体内可诱导产生强大、特异、早期、持续的免疫反应。本研究根据已发表的LPPQ基因序列设计引物，用Pyrobest^TM高保真DNA聚合酶从MmmSC HVRI X株中扩增出了LPPQ N末端基因序列，并进行了克隆与序列测定。核苷酸序列比较结果显示，HVRI X株的LPPQ N末端基因序列与国外发表的序列同源性为99．7％，由其推导的氨基酸序列同源性为99，1％，为脂蛋白LPPQ N末端基因体外表达奠定了基础。